Research

My research centers on logic and its applications in linguistics, cognition, and philosophy. In linguistics, I have worked extensively on computational aspects of both syntax and semantics; in recent years however, my interests have shifted towards pragmatics and big-data oriented approaches to dialog (topics I collaborate on with Luciana Benotti). In cognition, I have investigated (together with my colleagues Torben Brauner and Irina Polyanskaya) reasoning and recursion and recursion in children with ASD. In philosophy I have used modal-style logics to investigate time and tense (somewhat in tthe style of the work of Arthur Prior), more recently my interests have been shifting towards more general investigations of the logic of perspective (or standpoint) shifts. This has been partly inspired by the work of some very new thinkers (such as Quentin Meillassoux) and some very old ones (such as Zhangzi).

Teaching

I have taught a wide range of bachelor, master and PhD level courses in many countries over the last 30 years. Since coming to RUC, I have taught the introductory "Science and Philosophy” course in the Global Humanities programe, and in philosophy I regularly teach “Erkendelsesteori & Metafysik”, and, together my colleagues, Kasper Eskildsen and Søren Riis, “Nyere tendenser i videnskabsteori”. Other courses I have taught here include: “Critical Thinking”, “Classical Chinese Philosophy”, “Introduktion to Quentin Meillassoux' Filosofi”, “Chinese Thought and Culture: An Illustrated Guide”, and “Natural Language Metaphysics”.

Together with my colleague Esther Oluffa Pedersen, I coordinate the bachelor course “Digital humaniora/Nye digitale verdener”; this gathers together researchers from IKH and IMT to discuss various aspects of the digital society in which we live.

As a supervisor I tend to enjoy whatever students bring to the table, and have supervised bachelor, master and PhD projects on a wide range of topics, including the role of princesses in Disney films, the role of infinity in mathematics, and the role of metaphysics in pandemic studies.

Management and Cooperation

I collaborate with many people, including researchers from Aalborg University (Denmark), Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), Auckland University (New Zealand), Cordóba University (Argentina), University of Salamanca (Spain), University of Aveiro (Portugal), Tsinghua University (China), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), and University of Groningen (The Netherlands).

I have been closely associated with the European Foundation for Logic, Language, and Information (FoLLI) for over thirty years, and have helped organize the Scandinavian Logic Society (SLS) over the past decade.